‘Picnic’ clash for pupils checking scripts

MANY Leaving Cert students will be torn between viewing their exam scripts and attending Electric Picnic the weekend after next – as schools expect a surge in people wanting to check their scripts.

A significant increase in the number of checks is expected as pupils grapple with the new exam grading system and want to see exactly how they fared on their papers.

The facility to view the scripts was first introduced by former education minister Micheál Martin to introduce greater transparency into the system.

Until now grades were mostly separated by five marks.

But this year the number of grades has been reduced from 14 to eight, and they are now separated by 10 marks.

The expectation is that this will lead to an increase in requests to view the scripts – although ironically it is also likely to result in a reduction in appeals for rechecks by examiners afterwards.

Students will be able to view their scripts from 6pm-9pm on Friday, September 1, and the next day from 9am-noon and from 2pm-5pm.

Students have until tomorrow to request viewing the scripts, which are then returned by the State Examinations Commission to the school.

Guidance counsellor Betty McLaughlin stressed the importance of viewing the scripts if the students suspected they had been unfairly marked.

“They can, of course, appeal the results without seeing the scripts, but it’s better if they do look at them.”

However, many of the same students got Christmas presents of tickets for Ireland’s biggest music festival, which will be held in Stradbally, Co Laois, the same weekend.

The line-up includes The Strypes, Duran Duran, Elbow, Chaka Khan, The xx and London Grammar.

Unfortunately, students cannot get somebody else to view the scripts for them.

They can ask a parent or teacher, or anybody else, to accompany them, but they themselves have to be in attendance for the viewing.

Trinity College Student Union president Kevin Keane has advised students to skip the Picnic for a few hours to review their scripts if they were unhappy with their results.

“Their future course and career could depend on it,” he said in a podcast available on Independent.ie today.

Ms McLaughlin has suggested that if students are going to Stradbally then they should request that their schools let them view the scripts on the Friday night.